Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone out there recommend using a shell cream on their tortoises? I was at the vet this past week and the vet assistant recommended a shell cream, full of nutrients, strengthens shell, blah blah blah. Does not seem necessary since no one is out there in the wild putting shell cream on all the wild tortoises! But it does make the shell look nice.

What do people think?

Thanks, Ben

Sounds like they are selling that Shell Cream for fun and profit. No matter how many nutrients the stuff may contain, it isn't very likely that any would be absorbed through the shell.

shell cream basically makes you think that you are giving the tortoise's shell nutrients and whatnot by making the shell appear more what we seem to think it should look like (smooth and shiny).

I've seen a couple of tortoises that people used shell cream on, and it reminded me of a shoe that had been freshly polished.

Bottom line: No, they don't need it, and I wouldn't recommend it.